Twilight of the Superheroes
Chapter One: Who We Were
"Angel," a thin, dark-haired Hispanic young woman announced. Her name: Alex Russo. Title: Superhero/Member of the Justice Guild. Clad all in white, the young sorceress felt the wings on her back flap before colliding with her body.
"Archer," a slender yet fuller figured young woman declared, her blond hair streaming under the green hood over her head. Her name is Samantha Puckett. Title: Superhero/Member of the Justice Guild.
"Silver Hawk," a tall, lightly muscular young man of Italian and Latino heritage proudly introduced himself, his silver uniform glistening under the lights. Name: Justin Russo. Title: Superhero/Founding member of the Justice Guild. Justin took a brief bow of the head, and stood staunchly.
"Wondergirl," a young woman of Asian descent announced, stepping forward. Her name: Carly Shay. Title: Superhero/Member of the Justice Guild. The young woman let her black and red suit glisten with its own magical light as she stood in a heroic pose.
"Whitefire," a young man with brown hair proudly declared. His name: Fredward "Freddie" Benson Jr. Title: Superhero/Member of the Justice Guild. Dressed in a black mask that held his hair like a sweat band, Freddie looked straight ahead, his blue uniform shining as it reflected the light above him.
"Vixen," a tall, thin, beautiful young woman of Puerta Rican descent introduced herself. Her name is Tori Vega. Title: Vigilante-turned-Superhero/Member of the Justice Guild. The young woman watched her suit glisten; showing its yellow and black fabric and leather.
"Witch," a tall, Gothic young woman with dark hair and a pale complexion announced, her black suit reflecting the light of the glowing fluorescent bulbs above her. Her name: Jade West. Title: Superhero/Founding Member of the Justice Guild.
"The Justice Guild was officially declared a deputized branch of the police force several hours ago. "Although little is known about them, America can rest assured...our saviors have come." Shutting off the television, Just threw himself down on the couch.
"Something wrong?" Angel asked, taking off her mask.
"We shouldn't've gone public like this," the young man shot back. "We were better off working underground."
"That's why you formed the Justice Guild?" the Latina replied, sarcasm lacing her tone. "The people trust us now...we don't have to hide anymore."
"Then why do we still wear masks?" Justin countered. "They're never gonna trust a group of kids playing dress-up."
"...Is that all you think we are?" Alex sharply replied, feeling her hands trembling. "After everything we've done, that's how you see us?" Justin sat still, his silence displaying his refusal. "Justin! Answer me!"
Suddenly rising to his feet, the young man roughly grabbed his sister's arms, clenching them tightly. Gasping, Alex looked into her older brother's eyes; anger filled his soul. "Justin, no, please!" the young woman cried out, trying to fight her way out of her brother's grip.
"Never talk down to me!" Justin cried out, throwing down his sister's hands. "I'm the leader of this team; you do what I say."
"Who died and made you the head of the team?" the white-clad teenager shot back, clenching her fists. Silence broke into every inch of the room. Images flashed through the Russo children's minds; James clenched his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. However, it was too late. Surrounded by his friends, the young man let himself fall into eternal sleep.
Turning away from his sister, Justin slowly walked out of the room, leaving Alex all alone. Dropping into a chair, the young woman let out a heavy sigh of relief; of calmness. Her hands still quaking, Alex clenched her fists, playing back the entire argument. Her breath going heavy, the Latina felt her heart pounding through her chest. Facing criminals was hard, but facing Justin was a work of pure horror. In that instant, I was a scared little girl, she confessed to herself. Why can't I fight back? Why'd I start that stupid fight in the first place? Looking down at herself, Alex fell to her knees, and let herself break down; hot, burning tears streamed down her face, her nose began to run violently, her mouth became filled with strings of saliva, and her breaths were sharper than ever before. "Oh god...oh god...I...What am I?" she gasped out, beginning to pick herself apart. As everything around her began to blur over, the young woman found herself a helpless little girl, wandering around where she didn't belong.
Her long, dark hair resting on her back, a young Hispanic girl walked down a dark hallway, her little shoes clanging on the hard ground. Passing by several open doors, the child saw Archer sharpening her arrows, Wonder Girl practicing her martial arts, and then, darkness. Coming to the last room at the very end of the hall, Alexandria Russo nervously knocked on the door. Silence filled the air. Taking a step backwards, the little girl listened to the knob start to turn. Suddenly, a massive clown face jumped out of the shadows, laughing in her face. Laugh! Alex cried to herself. Then, the clown head split in two, revealing the resident of the final room; Justin. His brow was coated in sweat, his suit clinging to his flesh as he breathed heavily.
"Alex," a familiar voice greeted the child. "Alex!" Springing up in shock, Alex found herself rising from the floor to meet Carly. "Are you okay?"
"...Yeah," the Latina lied. "I'm fine... Thanks."
Sitting in a chair in her room, Tori gazed at the floor, her fist covering her mouth as she meditated on the past; "Mom, it's too tight," a younger Victoria declared, feeling the fabric bind her body.
"You'll fit better if you lose a couple of pounds," the young woman's mother answered. The remark hurt, but Tori still allowed her mother to dress her in the outfit. "I'm so proud of you, Tori." The young brunette smiled a weak and strained smile, catching a glimpse of her older sister, Trina, sitting on the couch, watching her. Why not her? Tori asked herself. No...I don't want her to have to live this life.
Finding herself back in reality, Tori sat still, barely moving her chest with each breath. Unlike so many others, this night was quiet; crime was off the streets, if only for tonight. Her eyes glazing over, the young woman saw herself in an alley, feeling the coldness of the night, the costumed vigilante clenched her fists as she rose into a fighting stance. Two men wearing heavy coats slowly approached. "Whatter you doing, little girl?" one of them asked. Blinking her burning eyes, Tori remained still as the images flashed by inside her mind; Cracking her neck, Vixen charged at the two. The first slash of her nails hit Walter Dutch, a known car thief with a high rap sheet. Lunging forward, the young woman tackled and clawed at Wayne North's face. Wayne was a convicted child molester and part of a small gang. Smelling the raging scent of blood in the air, Tori forced herself to look away, running off into the night before the police arrived.
Having grown calm, the teenager turned away from her memories, and took a sip of hot tea. It's over, Tori, she told herself. You're not a vigilante anymore...you're one of the heroes.
Her hands pressing down into the mattress, Alex fixed herself above Justin. Clad in only her bra and panties, the young woman awaited the horror to come. Smiling, Justin wrapped his arms around his little sister's back, pushing her downward. "Justin, no," Alex said, trying to keep her voice hushed.
"Ssh," Justin replied, kissing the girl's soft lips. "It'll be okay. I promise." Biting back tears, Alex nodded, and lowering herself down to kiss her brother. Outside, the moon burned with the intensity of a dying sun among the darkness and shining stars of the night. Stroking the girl's long, dark hair, Justin closed his eyes, feeling a warmth in his heart.
Meanwhile, Wondergirl and Whitefire walked down the streets of Los Angeles, scanning the area for any sort of disturbance.
"Anything?" Freddie asked, using a deep voice.
"No," Carly answered. "Something's up. It's never this quiet at night." Looking down at the ground, the young woman's artificial beauty mark on her left cheek was hit by the glow of a street ligt.
"Do you think Laugh's up to something?" Whitefire replied, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Could be," Carly answered. "Keep your eyes open." Suddenly, the scream of a police siren sounded in the distance. The two masked figured looked at one another, exchanged a 'strike' symbol, and began running towards the source of the noise.
"Guys," Carly's voice crackled in the speaker of the Justice Guild headquarters. "Do you read me?"
"Yeah, Wondergirl," Archer answered, pressing the speak button on the phone. "What's going on?"
"Police sirens going off in the middle of Los Angeles; looks like Laugh's old stomping grounds. We might need back-up," Wondergirl explained.
"We're on our way," Archer answered. "Angel, Witch, Silver Hawk, meet me in the hummer. Now!"
Their bodies drenched in sweat, Alex rolled over in her brother's bed, her face completely flushed and stained with the hot blood inside her body. Raising his weak, trembling body out of the bed, his t-shirt heavily stained with sweat, Justin looked down at his sister, stared gravely for a moment, and then pulled the covers up around her neck.
Wondergirl and Whitefire perched themselves on a beam inside the warehouse the alarm sounded from. "It's Laugh," Carly whispered into the phone. "He's got his henchmen with him. Roughly ten, all armed with novelty weapons. Stand by."
"Ready to get the drop on these thugs?" Whitefire asked, his voice deep and confident.
"Let's," Carly answered, leaping down onto a lower beam.
"Looks like we've got company," Laugh happily exclaimed, his voice nearly frantic. "Make 'em feel welcome, boys!" As ordered, the clown-decorated henchmen charged towards the two masked heroes.
"This is gonna be fun," Freddie said, leaping onto the floor and tackling two of the thugs.
Wondergirl lept forward, thrusting herself forward by the weight of the man, then delivering a right hook to a thug holding a pair of wind-up teeth. As the man collapsed, the teeth fell from his hand, and let off a low-range explosian.
"The room's hot!" Wondergirl exclaimed, searching for other explosives.
"Don't you wanna play with me?" Laugh taunted. "You're making me feel sad." The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handgun. With a loud pop, a flag with "Bang!" written on it projected. "Ready for some games?"
"Wondergirl, Whiteflame," Archer called out into the Guild's phone, her voice disguised. "Should we storm the castle?"
"Not yet," Carly replied, acting as if she were talking to Laugh.
Charging forward, Whiteflame tackled a thug, knocking a knife out of his hand. Suddenly, the boy felt a firm grasp coil around his arm. "Not to fast, kiddo," Laugh taunted, his pale skin and blood-red lips striking terror into Freddie. Pulling out the trick gun, the criminal touched the barrel to Whiteflame's head. "I wonder what you look like on the inside." Gulping, the young man found himself frozen.
"Laugh, let him go," Wondergirl demanded, slowly walking forward.. "It doesn't have to be like this."
"Oh, yes it does," the clown sadly replied, stroking Freddie's short brown hair. "There's only one way out of this life; out of these lies...and I'm going to do that one thing." Slowly wrapping his fingers around the trigger, Laugh's face developed a proud, entertained, nearly demonic smile. Carly continued to walk closer to the maniac, her hands out at her sides. "One step closer, Blundergirl, and I blow his head off. Wouldn't that be funny?" Suddenly, an arrow collided with the wall, and exploded, knocking Freddie and Laugh down. Jumping back onto his feet, the young man thrust his fist into the criminal's face, knocking him out just inches from the small fire.
"You were supposed to wait for the order," Wondergirl called up.
"Looks like we came just in time," Archer replied, leaping down from a lower support beam.
"...Thank you," Carly gave in, exchanging a smile with her friend. "You okay, Whitefire?"
"I'll live," Freddie happily answered, smiling at Sam.
"Not if I can help it," a grizzly man in a clown costume snarled, pulling out a handgun. Acting without a moment's hesitation, Sam aimed her bow, let go of the arrow, and impaled the thug's head through the wall. Blood began to pour from the man's wound as his eyes rolled to the side.
"...You killed him," Carly whispered. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I didn't have a choice," Archer snapped back. "It was either him or Freddie. I chose the better of the two." Turning around, Sam slowly walked to the door.
"We don't kill," Wondergirl snapped. "What separates you from them now?"
"Because I'm fighting the good fight!" Archer hollered, her voice echoing throughout the entire building. "I just don't let my friends take the fall so I can protect my morals."
The entire ride back at headquarters was filled with silence. Freddie didn't dare to come between Carly and Sam. Jade sat next to Justin, staring at the passing city lights. At last, the Guild returned to their base, locked the doors, and removed their masks. Alex walked into the meeting room, her breath still heavy with fear.
"You mind telling me where the hell you were?" Sam demanded.
"I told her to stay behind," Justin replied.
"The order was for all of us," Tori shot back.
"Is princess above orders now?" Witch added, her voice harsh.
"Hey!" Alex snapped, throwing her chair back as she shot up. "I don't know what the fuck your problem with me is, but..."
"My problem is, you're the weakest one here," Jade snarled. "You sleep through alarms, you never get your hands dirty, and big brother's always got your back." Those last words burned like a raging fire consuming fresh flesh.
"You wanna see what I can do?" Alex hollered.
"Yeah!" Jade demanded, growing excited.
"Guys, stop it," Carly threw herself in. "Alex has just the same rights we all do. "
"Then why does one of our leaders constantly baby her?" the Gothic young woman demanded.
"My business is my own," Justin gravely answered. "Just drop it. I'll take care of Alex." Jade spat as she walked out of the room. Carly, Sam, Freddie, and Tori followed the young woman out of the room, leaving only the Russo siblings.
"Why did you do that to me?" Alex snarled, glaring into her brother's eyes; her pulse soaring and her heart speeding up. "You knew what was going on, but you let me sleep through it. I don't know what this sick obsession you have is all about..."
"I just wanted to keep you safe," Justin fought back. "After what had just happened...
"Well don't," the Latina snapped. "I can handle Laugh or any other penny thug. You're not my father, and I can take care of myself." Defeated, the young man departed from the room, leaving Alex in a fit of rage. "Damn you!" she screamed, losing all composure. Dropping to her knees, the young woman clenched her face with both hands, and cried.
Sitting atop the Guild's roof, Carly gazed at the stars. "Hey," Sam interrupted, walking over towards her friend. Carly turned her head. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said, but you have to know I did what I had to. He would've killed you guys if I didn't stop him."
"Then why didn't you use a trick arrow or something?" the brunette insisted. Sam looked at the ocean reflecting the light of the stars. "What's happened to you?"
"Being a superhero isn't a game," Sam finally answered. "It's about protecting innocent people...at all cost. It was hard on me, but it had to be done."
"...Is this about Columbine?" Carly asked, her voice returning to its natural, sweet tone. Sam didn't answer. "We couldn't have stopped it, Sam. It was just the two of us, and we had no idea what was going on."
"All those kids died," Sam choked out. "They died because I wasn't there to save them. Too damn busy trying to find the shooters..."
"Tonight wasn't the first night you've killed...was it?" Carly asked, feeling her friend's pain. The blond shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you."
"There isn't any help for people like me, Carly..." Sam shot back. "When I started out as Archer, I thought it would just be bank robberies and high speed chases. I thought the world was something it's not...I thought people were different. Then, when I saw those dead children's bodies...it was too much. I realized what a horrible place the world really is. It broke me...it broke my faith in people, just like when my father left."
"There's always hope, Sam," the brunette girl said, putting her arm around Sam's shoulder. "It doesn't have to be like this...there's more good in the world than evil...you have to trust that."
"Not after what I've seen," the blond refused, staring at a single star in the sky. "There's just...it's all too much. Killing made sense, but now...I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I can't change the world, and I can't save the person I used to be."
"Sam," Carly pleaded.
"I'm quitting the Justice Guild," Sam declared. Turning in her badge and uniform, the blond teenager left the building without a single word.
"Sam, please, just listen to me," Carly begged, following her friend outside.
"I'm sorry, Carly," the young woman replied. "But I'm not coming back." As Sam walked away, Carly felt a soft hand touch her shoulder. Looking to her side, the young woman saw Freddie; he was there. He cared. Carly warmly embraced the young man under the glow of the stars. Then, their lips collided.